Dear Editor, As I gradually lost my sight over my lifetime, I realized how important work is. Obviously it provides the income you need to live, but it also shapes identity, builds confidence, and provides purpose and meaning. I benefitted from all the preceding because I was able to remain employed as I transitioned from…

Dear Editor, I was expecting a ghost town when I dropped my 13-year-old daughter off at Okemo on Sunday. I’d been working from home in Brattleboro for months, only seeing the occasional friend for a walk, and assumed most Vermonters were similarly wary of public spaces during the pandemic. So it was shocking to drive…

Dear Editor, Good news: Leading medical experts in the U.K. believe that eating vegan foods rather than animal-based ones is the simplest, cheapest ways to reduce one’s risk of “becoming seriously ill with Covid-19.” In an open letter to the British government, the physicians explained that people who eat wholesome vegan foods are less likely…

By Philip Finkelstein Editor’s note: This commentary is by Philip Finkelstein, of Charlotte, Vermont, who is a technical writer and business analyst. After attending the University of British Columbia, where he received a BA in political science, he served as a blog contributor for Citizens’ Climate Lobby.  Americans value their freedom—so much so, that refusing to…

Dear Editor, Thank you for allowing my family’s voice to be heard. We’ve spent years in legal disputes, pursuing the town for our “grandfathered status” and illegal “selective enforcement.” There is a significant amount of information to share and I would be doing the story a disservice by only talking about the wastewater system that…

Dear Editor, Last night on my way home from work I stopped by Stewart’s State Street store to pick up a gallon of milk. After I left, I had gone about one block when a police cruiser popped out behind me, lights flashing. The officer told me she was pulling me over because my headlights…

Dear Editor, The debate has started again as to whether the U.S. Constitution should be amended in order to change the presidential election process. Some promote eliminating the electoral college in favor of a direct popular vote for president while others believe the electoral college should remain unchanged. Just as compromise solved the initial problems…

Dear Editor, With so many small businesses closing due to Covid hardships, and local markets and craft shows across the state forced to halt in-person operations, the businesses that do succeed are the ones that update their business model and get creative. The Vermont Farmers Market is no exception. Down to half capacity this summer…

By Angelo Lynn As all Americans wish fervently for a return to normal times, we are faced with twin crises that have shaken the country to its core: a meteoric rise in Covid cases and an erosion of trust in the truth — a casualty of four years of lies and misinformation spewed by a…

By Haley Frechette In all the chaos of the election, it would be easy to lose track of the fact that Nov. 8 was National First-Generation Student Day. This day was meant to highlight and celebrate those who are the first in their family to attend college. I am proud to be one of those…

Dear Editor, A walk through town reveals many signs, like our own, proclaiming that Black Lives Matter. Folks may be searching for other ways to promote racial equality, and to learn about and work to end systemic racism, other than posting signs. One option among many is to join the Rutland Area NAACP. Now the…

Dear Editor, First is my big thank you to the 1,471 Windsor County voters. Those voters saw the issues facing local democracy. I, Mason Wade, spoke strongly about our local democracy being homoginized by the two party system, as an independent candidate for the past two Windsor Senate races. Before I share an example, I…

By Betsy Dorminey Editor's note: Betsy Dorminey of Enosburg Falls is an attorney, entrepreneur and hotelier, proprietor of the Quincy Hotel of Enosburg Falls. She serves as the Vermont state director of The Capitalist League. As Biden savors his slim victory and prepares to “Occupy 1600 Pennsylvania” for the next four years there are lessons to be learned. Neither…

Dear Editor, Regarding the death of a pedestrian crossing Route 7 by Day’s Inn in Rutland Town (“Pedestrian struck and killed in Rutland,” Nov. 11-17 edition) — I travel Route 7 South often and am always amazed that pedestrians have to take their lives in their hands to cross Route 7 at one of the…

To the Editor, I was pleased to learn an Israeli startup called SuperMeat is serving cultured-chicken sandwiches at a test kitchen in Tel Aviv. For those who don’t know, cultured meat is grown from cells, without slaughtering animals. The U.S. Congress should help fund development of this revolutionary protein. Though cultured meat is rapidly approaching…